Wrench



Nov. 8, 19227e G., L. WACKEROW WRENCH Filed Jam 9. 1925 vns Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WRENCH.

Application filed January 9, 1926. Serial No. 80,307.

This invention relates to a wrench and particularly to an adjustable wrench.

It is an object of this invent-ion to provide a simple and efficient type of adjustable wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, means being provided for moving the movable jaw by a swinging movement of the handle in the same direction as the handle is swung for turning the nut operated upon', said. Wrench being so constructed that said. means may be disengaged from the movable jaw and the handle s-wungfor another turning movement on the nut. A

It is also an object of this invention to provide` a wrench comprising a head having a fixed' jaw and a movable jaw guided therein, said movable jaw having a Vrack formed thereon which is engaged by a gear rigidly carried at one end of a handle pivoted to said head.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wrench, as set forth in the preceding paragraph, having means for holding said gear in engagement with said rack, but inwhich said gear is movable axially out of engagement with saidrack, whereby said handle may be swung.without moving said movablejaw. p

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts= throughout the1 several views, and in which,

1 is a planview of the wrench, different positions of the handle and movable jaw being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is ank edge View of the wrench as seen from the bottom of Fig. l, in whichfa different positionv of the gear and handle is indicated vin dotted lines; I

Fig- 3 is a verticalsectionon the line 3 3 of.' Fig.. 2, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a VertiCaIseCtiOn taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l, as indicated bythe arrows.` i

Referring to thev drawings, a wrench is shown comprising `a head1 l having formed thereon a. fixed jaw la and having extending at one side a flange 4*. The head 4 also has a.v portion le extendingover the flanget 4b but-spaced therefrom, said portion forming,

v withthefllange @andthe headlia, achannel at the wide portion of the fixed jaw 4F, the portion 4C extending beyond the fixed aw 4a being thusin the form of a projecting arm.

A movable jaw 5 is provided shapedy simil larly to the fixed jaw la and reversely dis'- poscd in relation thereto, which movable jaw has a projecting arm 5a havingrack teeth pivots might be used, inthe embodiment of *i the invention illustrated, the gear 6"" is pivoted on a stud. 7 having a reducedportion extending through the flange 4l andI riveted at one side thereof. The'stud 7 extends some distance above the gear 6? with the samef diameter as the 'bore of said gear and a plate spring 8 has one end secured to the top of stud 7 by a grooved headed screw 9 threaded Iinto the top of stud-7,said spring extending a short distance at each sidey ofy stud 7. The spring 8 extends some distance over the handle 6 and is secured at its other end to said handle by the rivet 10. A pin 11 is secured in the outer end of they arm le and'flange 4b andy constitutes a stop `for the movable aw'5.

In operation, the Wrench will be held in the hand with the hand grasping handle 6, which' handle will be approximately inthe dotted. line position shown at the-top of'Fig.`

. 1. At this time, the movable jaw will be in its outer position, as shown in Fig. l. The jaws are now placed in position to embrace the nut and the4 handle is swung in a clockwise direction or toward the full line position in Fig. 1. vThis movementrotates the gear 6b and moves the rack 5b and the movable jaw 5 toward the fixed jaw 4a. As soon as the movable jaw` 5 engages the-nut its movement is stopped, and further movement of handle 6 will then turn the nut, the jaws being urged and maintained in tight engagement with thev nut by the gear l6?. rTheI handle 6 is now swung to turn the nut asI far as it is convenientto swing. the handle. Theoperator then rests his thumb on the top of screw 9 and presses upwardly with his fingers on the bottom of handle 6 ad]acent gear 6b. The handle and gear are thus lifted upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, gear 6" thus being raised above and out of engagement with rack 5*.

he handle can now be swung in a countercloclrwise direction to substantially the position shown in dotted lines at the top of Fig. l. The gear 6b and handle are then released by the fingers and the gear iinme" diately assumes its position on fiange Il" in engagement with rack 5b,the gear and handie being urged into this position by spring 8. The operator will now again swing the handle v6 through' another angle to further tighten the nut. This operation can be quickly repeated until the nut or bolt is tightened as much as desired. If itis dey sired to turn the nut in a reverse direction the wrench is quickly lifted from the nut and turned into position with the gear on the underside and the jaws applied vto the nut. The nut can then be turnedV in a reverse direction or in a counter-clockwise direction to be loosened in the same manner as already described for turning the nut in a clockwise direction.. It`will be readly seen that the inner end of spring 8 lforms a stop fortlie gear 6b when the same is movable axially out of engagement with rack 5". The parts are preferably assembled before the pin l1 is placed in position.` After the pin is in osition it will be seen that the movable Jaw cannot be entirely detached or `moved out of engagement with gear 6b, pin Vll also holding and bracingarm 4".

From the abovedescriptionit is seen that applicant has provided a very simple and lefficient adjustable wrench. The wrench can be used on a wide range of sizes of nuts and the wrench can be very quickly loptr- "ated It is unnecessary to remove the wrench from the nut and re-engage the nut for each annular turning movement. The nut can thus be rapidly tightened or loosened. The wrench quickly engages the nuts of different sizes and the nut is very firmly engaged, especially by the outer end of. the movable jaw.` The objectionable creeping or lost motion effect present in many adjustable wrenches 'is thus eliminated and the nut is always closely and tightlyengaged.` The device comprises very few parts andf can be easily and inexpensively and ruggedly made. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found `to be very successful and eflicient.

Y It will, ofcourse,be understood, that various changes may be made in the-form, de-

tails, `arrangement and proportions of the parts without `departing from the scope ofl applicants invention,

l which, i generally'.` stated, consists in a device capable ofcarryhead having a fixed jaw thereon, said head having a iiange projecting at one end thereof, a movable jaw guided in said head for movement toward and from said fixed jaw and having a rack formed on one side thereof, a handle pivoted to said flange and carrying a gear rigid therewith meshing with said rack, said vgear `being movable axially out ofengagement with said'raclr whereby a new purchase may be obtainedby re-engagemeiit of said rack and gear.

E2.v A wrench having in combination, a head having a fixed jaw thereon,`a movable jaw guided for movement toward and from said fixed jaw and having a rack formed thereon, a handle pivoted to said head `and carrying gear rigid therewith, a pivot for said liandle'co-axialwith said gear on which said gear and handle is slidable whereby said gearniay be moved axially out ofengagement with said rack, and means holding said gear normally in eiigagementwith said rack. 3. The structure set forth in claim 2, said last mentioned means comprising a spring engaging said handle andv extending over said pivot andconstitutingvastop" for `said 'engaging said movable jaw to `move the same toward and from` said fixed by swinging` movement of,4 said handle, said meansv being mov'ablefout of engagement with said movable jawV in al direction sub- "stantiallyatright angles tothe side of said jaw to permitV swinging movement of said handle without moving said movable i jaw and means iiormallyliolding said handle in engagement with said movablej aw. L 5. A wrench "having iii' combination, .a lieadliaving` a fixed jaw thereon, a movable jaw,` guided forinovement toward andfrom said fixedfjaw andrhaving `spaced means formed' thereon, a handle vpivoted to ,said head and having means rigid therewith nor` mally "engaging said spaced means to' fmove said `movable jaw toward ,and` from` said fixedja`w, said means being movable out, of

engagementwith saidniovable jaw ina direction parallelwith the axis about "which said handle swings to i permit swinging movenent of said handle withoutinoving said movablejaw., A g i y i 6."A wrench having in combination," a head having a fixed jaw tliereomsaid" head having a flange projecting at one'end'thereof, a movablejaw guided "in'said headfor saidiixed jaw," a handle pivoted to said head movement toward and from said fixed jaw having a rack formed thereon, a handle pivoted to said iange and carrying a gear rigid therewith meshing with said rack,l a stud fixed in said iange to which said handle is pivoted, disposed co-axially with said gear, a plate spring secured to said stud and extending over the edge of saidstud, the other end of said spring engagingsaid handle, said spring holding said gear in ymesh with said rack but being iexible away from said handle and gear, said gear being moved out of mesh with said rack in a direction parallel with the axis of said stud when said spring is so flexed.

7. A wrench having in combination, a head having a lixed jaw at one side thereof and having a flange projecting at its opposite side, said flange having a iiat surface, a movable jaw guided in said head for movement toward and from said xed jaw and having a rack formed thereon, a handle pivoted to said llange and carrying a gear rigid therewith meshing with said rack and resting on said flat surface, a stud lixed in said ange extending through said gear and above the same a distance greater than the thickness of said gear, said gear and han-v dle swinging about said stud as a center, an elongated plate spring having one end secured to the top of said stud, extending longitudinally of said handle and having its other end bent downwardly and secured to said handle whereby said spring normally holds said gear in engagement with said rack but said gear and handle can be moved against the tension of said spring parallel to the axis of said stud to move said gear out Iof engagement with said rack.

In testimony whereof I aIix my signature.

GEORGE L. WACKEROW. 

